More Than She Knows
by TheMagicWorks
Summary: It has been overwhelming, and humbling. And even painful, at times. But I could not stop loving her any more than I could stop breathing. I am hopelessly, irretrievably, in love with her. More than she knows.


_** I love everything about her, and I'm not a guy who says that lightly. I am a guy who has faked love his entire life. I thought love was just something idiots thought they felt, but this woman has a hold on my heart that I could not break if I wanted too. And there have been times that I wanted to. It has been overwhelming, and humbling. And even painful, at times. But I could not stop loving her any more than I could stop breathing. I am hopelessly, irretrievably, in love with her. More than she knows.**_

Barney stumbled up the stairs, his head and heart pounding. He had no idea what he was going to say but he knew what he must do. Say sorry to her. Sorry for always being a jerk. Sorry for letting her down again. Sorry for hurting her again. But she didn't deserve what she got.

He paced down the hallway toward the flat almost running, taking deep breaths. 'Time to prove you have a heart,' he thought to himself. He sighed, grabbing the door knob, twisting it. Suddenly he froze. Someone was crying. Not crying, whimpering like a wounded animal. But she was not an animal, nothing of the such. She was a beautiful angel.

She was kneeling on the sofa, in a shirt and leggings. Although she looked beautiful that was besides the point. She was broken. He sighed, rather loudly. He felt like his world was breaking. Her crying eyes glistened like morning frost. She was weeping, into her hands heavily. A sound emerging from inside her was deathly, dark.

Her tears fell down her face, dripping onto her chin and onto the sofa. It hurt to see her cry, and it hurt even more to know it could be because of him partly. Robin never cried, not ever. Unless, it was something big or something she truly cared about.

"Robin." he said softly, and her head flicked up, brown hairs sticking to her wet face. "Oh no, Robin."

"Barney?" She tried to make a quick recovery, wiping her face, sitting up and straightening her clothes. He couldn't see her like this. Although they were full of tears she glanced up at him and smiled, her eyes brighter.

He wanted to got to her but instead he spent a very long time thinking before he spoke again. She studied him. He looked tired, not the usual tired look he wore. He was knackered, like he would collapse at any moment. He looked frustrated, angry and in pain but mostly he looked concerned. His eyes read her pain. He was concerned for her of course. He always was.

"Robin. I'm just so sorry. I should have thought things through. I wish I wasn't such a jerk because I am, I am. I shouldn't have mocked you for crying. You've had a lot on your mind haven't you? You broke up with Don three months ago."

"Barney," she sniffed. "You're awesome, completely awesome, don't think for one minute that this is your fault. You were right to mock me, I was being silly. It's just Don, I'm over that."

"It doesn't look like you're okay. Come on, it's okay to cry."

He knew her. But obviously not well enough, she wasn't even in love with Don, it was him, it'd always been him. She'd told him about her miserable past, the pain she always had felt. Barney wasn't just the 'womanizer' he pretended to be. No matter how much he denied it, Barney Stinson did have a soft side to him. A tender side, deep down. She was sure he could care, he could be kind, he could love. His soft side had been seen by Robin the most. She saw it on the late nights, when they were together, in each others presence. And she was seeing it now.

Her voice sounded silent, a squeak of a mouse. "Would it be okay? I mean you can say no, I don't care, but could we maybe watch a cheesy movie together?"

His mouth ran dry. He wanted to comfort her, hold and laugh with her. That scared him a long while, Barney doesn't do emotion. Because, because... Well because he was Barney! He thought about it carefully but then it all made sense. He wanted this because she was Robin.

He knew in that moment that he would do anything for her. He would love her till the end of the earth. He would listen to her past and tell her it'll be okay. He would love her in silence because he knew that's the last thing she needed. He'd hold on forever, but never push her into it. He would let his heart break a thousand times over, if it meant excruciating pain for him, because her heart was already broken and empty. She longed for happiness and she had none. He needed to fix Robin Scherbatsky.

"There's nothing I'd love more Robin. You need comfort, and comfort you shall get."

"Great!" she laughed, holding the phone out to him. "I have the takeaway on speed dial. I'll pick a movie."

Robin smiled and his heart lifted.

Time went on and Robin had picked Titanic, much to Barney's dismay. "I hate this movie." he sighed, rolling his eyes and relaxing back onto the sofa.

"Hey, shut up! It's the second highest grossing film of all time! It's a classic. And Leo is beautiful."

"You know my Mum used to say I looked like Leondaro Di Caprio."

"You know your Mum lied to you for a majority of your life right?" she laughed, pressing into him again. He replied with a grumble.

"Hey, Barney?" Robin asked quietly as they continued watching Titanic and finished the Chinese he'd ordered.

"What is it Scherbatsky?" he asked softly into her ear. He was a little distracted as Rose kissed Jack. Lately, he couldn't sit through a romance movie without thinking of Robin. This was becoming an issue.

They were sitting there on the couch, peacefully. The lights were low, a gentle ambience to the room. Her whole body was snuggled into him, her head on her chest, a hand on his knee. It felt wrong, too good to be true, but it felt so right. "I don't think I'll ever get married." She said out of the blue, sighing. The small voice inside of her disagreed very strongly. She'd stick to her morals, till the end. Never get married. She let out a sigh and took in a deep breath into him. She wouldn't change her mind, she'd be stubborn to herself. She didn't want marriage or kids. Did she?

"Why not?" he questioned, stroking her hair and sending chills down her spine.

"I'd make a terrible wife."

"Robin Scherbatsky!"

"What, it's true! I'm practically the most unstable woman in the world."

"So? Nobody's perfect!" he laughed. "No, Robin. I think you're great, well more than great you're brilliant." Barney grinned truthfully. She leaned in close, and for a split second Barney's heart skipped a beat because it looked as though she was going to kiss him. Instead, she reached over and took his hand squeezing comfortably.

She kept telling herself she didn't want it. You don't want to get married! She screamed at herself. He looked concerned as her eyes grew wider. His attention was fully on her now.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Yep." she stated bluntly biting her lip as if to contain herself.

"What's on your mind?" he questioned, holding her closer.

I know he's waiting for something she said to herself. And it all came out at once. All one blur of words. Robin turned to face the one man she loved more than everything.

"I'm just so stupid, and so sorry and I didn't know I wanted this till now. But I do, really do. I want this, I want us. I know I've hurt you before, we hurt each other. I don't know what to do with myself. Everything's happened so quickly and now I'm blubbering on like a fool. But seriously, you're amazing, awesome in fact and above everything else, I can't help it but I really do love you," she gasped in one breath. She watched his eyes raised smiling softly. "That wasn't quite the speech I planned-"

Barney stopped Robin's talking and not in the way she'd planned. The movie was forgotten, only the soft music in the background remaining. Their lips met suddenly and he held them together gently. His hands were on her cheek softly, rubbing with his thumb. Then his left hand was on the side of her neck and he was pressing against her. Their bodies curved into each other and they rolled around softly so that she had her legs tucked around his waist. They were full of a burning passion. There is no turning back now, no stopping or taking back the words she'd uttered rather clumsily. She pulls apart from him.

"I love you too Robin, more than you know." he utters into her ear, hands holding her closer.

She reached up to his face, breathless. Barney felt wet marks on his face. She was crying softly. He kisses her like there's no rush. They have forever to do this. Her hands wander up his back forcefully and play with his hair slowly, pulling him closer to her. His hands leisurely trace her body through her shirt before drifting underneath to find bare skin. She takes a deep breath pulling apart from him and watching his eyes burst open. They smile and join lips again. Every touch is perfect and soft. Every kiss is seductive and flawless. Every breath sharp and heavy.

It's feels like it's been less than a day since they were like this, when in fact it's been years since they explored each others bodies.

There are so many things they need to discuss. But that's not like either of them. Barney and Robin do not negotiate. Maybe this time they should have the talk. They need to break the news to their friends and families. Lily will be mad, furious. She'll make the talk happen as soon as possibly forcing them into it if they don't do anything.

They have massive choices to make now. Are they going to get an apartment of their own? Will they marry? They are going to find it hard. She knows it won't be easy. They have to learn to be a couple again. Not a couple that will break apart or hurt each other. But as his fingers creep up slowly and brush against the edge of her underwear, she sighs. She knows it can wait, it can wait forever. There's no rush, not anymore. Nobody or nothing can stop them. After all, they have forever.

_** I love everything about her, and I'm not a guy who says that lightly. I am a guy who has faked love his entire life. I thought love was just something idiots thought they felt, but this woman has a hold on my heart that I could not break if I wanted too. And there have been times that I wanted to. It has been overwhelming, and humbling. And even painful, at times. But I could not stop loving her any more than I could stop breathing. I am hopelessly, irretrievably, in love with her. More than she knows.**_


End file.
